Display device and driving method thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a display device and a driving method thereof, wherein a refresh rate of pixels is controlled at a reference frame frequency in a normal driving mode, and the refresh rate of the pixels is controlled at a frequency lower than the reference frame frequency in a low speed driving mode. In the low speed driving mode, park data is transmitted to a data driving circuit during at least one vertical blank period.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A display device, comprising:
 a pixel array in which a plurality of data lines, a plurality of gate lines overlapping the data lines, and a plurality of pixels are arranged; 
 a data driving circuit configured to convert pixel data to a data voltage and convert park data to a park voltage; 
 a gate driving circuit configured to sequentially supply gate signals to the respective gate lines; and 
 a timing controller configured to transmit the park data to the data driving circuit, 
 wherein each of the pixels includes sub-pixels having different colors, 
 wherein the gate signal includes a scan signal and a light emitting control signal, 
 each of the sub-pixels includes:
 a light-emitting element; 
 a driving element for driving the light-emitting element by supplying current to the light-emitting element; and 
 is operative when a first switch element turned on based on a gate-on voltage of the scan signal to couple the data line to a first electrode of the driving element, and 
 
 during a time when the first switch element is turned off, the park voltage is applied to the data lines, and 
 wherein the park voltage is applied to all pixels of the pixel array at a same voltage. 
 
     
     
       2. The display device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the sub-pixels further includes:
 a second switch element turned on based on a gate-on voltage of the light emitting control signal to couple a second electrode of the driving element to an anode electrode of the light emitting element, 
 when the second switch element is turned off, the park voltage is applied to the data lines. 
 
     
     
       3. The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the timing controller configured to:
 control a refresh rate of the pixels at a reference frame frequency in a normal driving mode and the refresh rate of the pixels at a frequency lower than the reference frame frequency in a low speed driving mode, and 
 transmit the park data to the data driving circuit during at least one vertical blank period in the low speed driving mode. 
 
     
     
       4. The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the data voltage and the park voltage are supplied to the data lines. 
     
     
       5. The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the timing controller is configured to determine the park data in one of a sub-pixel unit of a display panel, a pixel unit of the display panel, a pixel line unit of the display panel, and a frame data unit. 
     
     
       6. The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the timing controller is configured to determine the park data based on a pixel position to which the pixel data is written and a frame frequency of the low speed driving mode. 
     
     
       7. The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the timing controller is configured to determine the park data based on at least one of a pixel position to which the pixel data is written, a frame frequency of the low speed driving mode, and an amount of deterioration of each of the pixels. 
     
     
       8. The display device of  claim 7 , wherein the timing controller is configured to transmit a selected start code to the data driving circuit prior to the park data. 
     
     
       9. The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the park voltage is generated as a lower voltage as a frame frequency increases in the low speed driving mode. 
     
     
       10. The display device of  claim 9 , wherein the timing controller determines the park data based on an average value of one frame data. 
     
     
       11. The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the timing controller determines the pixel data as an average value of line data to be written to pixels of one-pixel line. 
     
     
       12. A display device, comprising:
 a pixel array in which a plurality data lines, a plurality of gate lines overlapping the data lines, and a plurality of pixels are arranged; 
 a data driving circuit configured to convert pixel data to a data voltage and convert park data to a park voltage; 
 a gate driving circuit configured to sequentially supply gate signals to the respective gate lines; and 
 a timing controller configured to transmit the park data to the data driving circuit, 
 wherein each of the pixels includes sub-pixels having different colors, 
 wherein the gate signal includes a scan signal and a light emitting control signal, 
 each of the sub-pixels includes:
 a light-emitting element; 
 a driving element for driving the light-emitting element by supplying current to the light-emitting element; and 
 is operative when a first switch element turned on based on a gate-on voltage of the scan signal to couple the data line to a first electrode of the driving element, and 
 during a time when the first switch element is turned off, the park voltage is applied to the data lines, 
 wherein the park voltage is applied to the pixels at a voltage set in units of pixel lines of the display panel. 
 
 
     
     
       13. A method of driving a display device including a pixel array in which a plurality of data lines, a plurality of gate lines overlapping the data lines, and a plurality of pixels are arranged, comprising:
 controlling a refresh rate of the pixels at a reference frame frequency in a normal driving mode; 
 controlling a refresh rate of the pixels at a frequency lower than the reference frame frequency in a low speed driving mode; 
 transmitting park data to a data driving circuit in the low speed driving mode; 
 converting the park data to a park voltage; 
 supplying the park voltage to the data lines, 
 turning a switch element that is electrically connected to a corresponding data line of the plurality of data lines into an off state; 
 applying the park voltage to the plurality of pixels while the switch element that is electrically connected to a corresponding data line in each of the pixels is in the off state, 
 wherein the park voltage is applied to all pixels of the pixel array at a same voltage. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 applying the park voltage to the pixels at a higher voltage as the value of the pixel data increase. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 applying the park voltage to the pixels at a data voltage previously charged in the pixels or a voltage higher than the data voltage.